Oceans to Shallows
by sonicsora
Summary: After Ophelia's exile, Eddie never expected to see her again. When they encounter one another again, he is shocked to realize something has drastically changed about her. More than just her dabbling with the sea of Black tears.


Just something dramatic for your reading pleasures ;V

###

All three cars rolled to a stop, in a stand off of sorts as Ophelia exited the hearse, her motions shockingly graceful and smooth even with the clear weight she carried on her now. Pregnancy offset her naturally thin form. Even with the swirl of black ink that made up her dress the shift in her body was obvious.

"Look, Eddie- I finally got a car." She laughed lowly, gesturing at the car casually. "It's got a special seat in the back, just for you."

All Eddie could do was stammer, his words lost as he stepped forward. "Ophelia-?" The color had drained from his face as he stumbled forward. His silence made her pause, squinting before she continued. He wasn't acting how he was supposed to, but Ophelia was going to keep going.

"After you tore out my heart and left me for dead, I'll admit I was a little down but then I pulled myself together. Started making new friends."

Eddie found himself walking forward expression drawn and tight. The roadie was still silent as death itself, only disconcerted Ophelia. Her practiced plan, her practiced speech falling apart as he stepped away from the Druid Plow, from the tour bus. His radio crackled at his hip, he reached towards it and turned the dial down, effectively muting Mangus. The rest of Ironheade was too stunned to try and stop Eddie just yet.

"What- cat got your tongue, Eddie? Too shocked by what you've done?" She held her ground, frowning tightly. The fact he kept just coming was not what she wanted.

The drowned woman took a reluctant step back when Eddie continued forward. Shock written across her features when he closed the distance between them so quickly. "Don't come near me."

"How-? how long?"

"How long do you think?" She bit back out. She raised her fist, shocked when he caught her hand in his own. She expected an attack, not a gentle embrace. The man's voice warbling with unrestrained emotions as he said her name. "Ophelia."

"Don't-" She tried to squirm away, surprised when he touched her cheek. Eddie had always been gentle, but this was new. This was like she was delicate and would shatter at his touch. She finally met his eyes, going still. His expression was distraught.

"Ophs- I'm, sorry. Fuck."

"You should be!" She bit out, slamming her fist against his chest. He didn't even react, simply holding her carefully.

"I don't need your apologies! I don't need you!" She spat angrily at him, her entire plan thrown out of whack as he just held her. "I should have believed you. Fuck, I should have listened."

"You can't just make this better with an apology, you bastard." She bit out slashing upwards with her tears, drawing blood with her strike. The sight of blood was enough to make the Tour Bus doors open, Lita and Mangus stumbling out of it. Shouts followed them as other Ironheade warriors spilled out in a panic.

"Eddie!" "Boss!"

Eddie held firm, accepting each slash with merely a pained grunt or whine. He would not let go. His blood splashed back at Ophelia, splattering across her enraged face. His lack of reaction only made her angrier. Given he was holding her this close, the best she could strike at was his shoulders, his chest, his face.

"Why won't you fight me?!" She smacked her fists against his chest ineffectually. His expression alone made her heart twinge sadly. "Fight me!"

"I love you." He stated softly back, the cut across his face oozed with blood and her own black tears, dribbling down the bridge of his nose. "I ain't lettin' you go again."

"You-" Lita and Mangus's arrival interrupted her thought, the pair each working on yanking Eddie back. Ophelia bristled, hissing at the two. "Don't touch him! He's mine!"

Lita looked ready to throttle her at this point. "Get away from him you witch!"

"Ophelia, we can like- talk this out!" Mangus pleaded in contrast to the wrath in Lita's voice, trying to play middle ground to the chaos. "Think about the baby!"

"I am thinking about the baby, I've had so much time to think about the baby because of all of you!" She dug her claws into Eddie's arm, making a new spring of blood well up as she tried to hold her ground. How dare they take her roadie? How dare they?!

Eddie winced a little, "Just back off!" He bit out at Mangus and Lita, rounding on Ophelia now, startling her into silence. "And you- you are not fuckin' runnin' off again to stir some revenge shit! Hell no!"

"You can't-" Ophelia started bitterly, only to be yanked off her feet by Eddie. Ophelia made a less than dignified sound, digging her fingers into Eddie's arm. "Do not carry me!" Lita and Mangus awkwardly backed off, giving Eddie some space.

"Nope, carryin'." He insisted, heading back to the Druid Plow. He carefully deposited Ophelia in the passengers seat before lurching forward to lean into the door awkwardly. "You got a really good right hook, y'know that?"

"I should kill you." She bit out sharply, glaring up at him. He was so open to attack, but she found herself unable to.

"Probably." He reached out to stroke her cheek. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know." She stated cooly, angry with herself she didn't immediately lean away. "I didn't know until it began showing. Then- then you threw me out of your beloved army. Now you only care because I'm pregnant."

"Ophelia…"

"Save your apologies. I don't need them. They're meaningless noise from a braying jackass."

Eddie took the insult without flinching, frowning at her. "You don't, but you need help. Even if you don't like me or any of us. I want to be here for you Ophs, I want to make good on this."

The drowned woman bristled, raising her fist again before Mangus intervened. He carefully held Eddie up, holding a hand up in a surrender gesture to placate Ophelia. "Woah okay- lets be chill, okay?"

"I'm sure Eddie means like, you're- with like dead people right? Can they manage like a full living baby?"

"Did you have any plan?" Lita snipped, eyes narrowed as Eddie shot her a look. Lita wasn't deterred, reaching out to touch Eddie's elbow. The roadie plowed onwards trying to smooth over the issue. "What Lita is tryin' to say I'm sure is, did you know what you wanted to do with a baby?"

"I know perfectly well what I plan to do." Ophelia opened the car's door, rising to her feet with practiced ease. She was not going to be talked down to. This was not going how she wanted it to, she needed to leave. She needed to break that bridge. "It doesn't involve any of you." She eyed Lita's hand on Eddie's elbow, trying to contain her urge to take a swipe at the blonde woman.

Eddie reached out catching her hand in his own. "Please." The pleading stalled her once again, the drowned woman hesitated, turning to face Eddie again.

"You have two minutes. Don't waste your time." She spit out irritably. She was expecting apologies, so many more apologies, anger and his insistence he was never wrong. Eventually he would shift blame back to her.

Ophelia was startled when Eddie tugged her closer for a kiss. Ophelia hated the fact she automatically relaxed in his grasp. Even with the slight distance her pregnant belly put between them she leaned into him. The familiarity of it was comforting. Her hand settled against his cheek, his hand found its place on the small of her back. His touch was light and gentle. Ophelia hated herself for the fact she kissed him back.

When he broke away he gave her a small sad kind of smile. His voice was rough with tears. "I said it already, but, I'm sorry. I'm the asshole here. I should have listened to you. I know you don't wanna hear any more apologies, but I gotta make that clear. I should have taken the time to listen to you."

"You should have." She wanted to sound scornful, disdainful, but kept coming up empty. "You promised me."

"I did. I'm the dick here. Please- before you go about killin' the fuck out of me, give it some thought. About us, about the baby. Even if you never want me again, I- want be here for you and the baby."

Ophelia's gaze dropped back to her middle, frowning a little. She extracted herself from Eddie's grasp, brushing herself off haughtily. "I'll consider it."

"Come find me when you have a your answer." He stated simply, any plans for a war against the sea was gone now. Eddie knew he couldn't fight against Ophelia like this.

Ophelia warily looked Eddie over, "I will." She drifted towards her car, "I'll be back within… a week. Meet me here, alone."

The suggestion made Lita turn several shades redder, Mangus squeak in surprise and shouts echo from the audience they had gathered. Eddie simply nodded, ignoring the panic around him. "I can do that."

"See you, Eddie." She waved at him, opening her hearses car door, sliding into the drivers seat. She turned the key, purposefully avoided his gaze as she turned the hearse around. She cranked up the music on her radio trying to forget her failure.

###

Ophelia carefully sank into the sea, swimming through the dark water as she tried to think. She exhaled before diving into the familiar waters.

In the water she felt weightless, like she wasn't carrying around a small person inside of her. She liked to move like she didn't notice the shift in her center of gravity, but it was all too clear to her.

Ophelia let herself sink further into the waters depths as she let her mind wander. She had only realized far too late what was wrong with her. What she had assumed was some kind of illness proved to be something much more dire, a child.

Wandering during those three months had only made her pregnancy become more obvious, harder to protect against the elements. She had been a failure in so many ways. Failure as a warrior for Ironheade, failure as a person because she couldn't find safety for her own child.

A failure with a weak heart who jumped into the sea regardless of the outcome. The sea had embraced her, taken her in when no one else would. Ateulia welcomed the outsiders.

Ophelia pushed past the tendrils bobbing from the currents, drifting lower and lower. The deeper she went, the clearer she could see.

Ophelia found- herself. Her connection to the sea. Her body laid upon a stone slab, hair swaying in the currents, hands laid out at her sides. Since Ophelia last saw herself, her body had shifted with changes. Weight shifting around on her body to reflect her pregnancy. Her eyes moved behind her eyelids, lips parted and bubbles escaping.

Ophelia drifted downwards, brushing her fingertips across her other selfs forehead.

' _Could I go back to being you?'_ Her thumb moved across the bridge of her own nose. _'Do I want to go back?'_

Ophelia settled down on the slab, exhaling out. Breathing wasn't necessary for her any longer, so the bubbles floating overhead towards the surface didn't send a flurry of panic through her like it would in the past.

 _'What do I want?'_

Revenge felt so easy, so right. If she killed Eddie, she would be fine. She could raise a child on her own. She didn't need him. She didn't need Ironheade or their pity.

But, some part of her still loved him. Loved him enough to be angry at the fact Lita had even touched him. Only she could have Eddie Riggs. Only **_she_** could grab onto him as she pleased.

She cradled her face in her hands with a soft groan. Bubbles escaped her mouth once again, heading towards the surface. Ophelia moved to lay on the slab next to her own original body. She reached out to touch the prone body's hand. Without much thought she knit her fingers with her original bodies own.

She let her eyes close, unaware of the way her fingers melted into the sturdier fleshier ones she held onto.

When she opened her eyes again, she was one woman, instead of two.

####

Her army followed at her heels, overflowing the bridge as she walked. They peppered the air with idle chatter, filling the uncertain silence in Ophelia's heart.

"Mistress are you sure this is wise?" A Grave Digger asked lowly, dark eyes keen on her as he tried to keep up with her stride. "This brute left you to rot!"

"He did." She confirmed as she rubbed her chin idly. Her mind was swirling with too many thoughts to properly articulate. Usually venom for Eddie Riggs was easy to come by, but now she was drawing a blank. Her conformation only made a chorus of suggestions ring through the chilly air.

"He's not worth your forgiveness."

"We should drown him!"

"Rip off his limbs!"

"Feed him to my beautiful babies!"

"Throw him over a ravine full of sharks!"

"Lemme fill him full of sparks!"

Ophelia exhaled, casting a look back over her shoulder silencing the chattier ones. Her army could read her looks by now thankfully. So well trained, so ready to murder. She felt some pride swell inside of her chest.

"I will make my own choice." She paused before adding, "I have made my choice. The rest of you are to follow me no matter the choice."

A chorus of "Yes mistress!" "Yes my queen!" "Anything you say!" followed her announcement settling the argument where it lay. The lack of talk back was a relief compared to Ironheade's chatty behavior.

"Stay here." She commanded cooly as she walked forward. "I'll call you if I need you."

She walked off before they finished calling after her. Ophelia had back up if she changed her mind again. She clenched her fist, watching as the blue tint faded away from her revealing the peachy color her natural skin tone. She could feel her heart beating in her chest again, just as much as she could hear the sea calling to her.

Eddie stood where he promised to be. Alone, alone as he ever was in this place. Unarmed and unassuming.

It would be so easy to kill him, but Ophelia found herself simply walking to meet him. She hated and loved the fact she fell back into his open arms.

####

"I'm just sayin', a little more fire power wouldn't be a bad idea."

"You say that about a lot of things." She cut her gaze to the man across from her, arching a brow at his growing grin. Ophelia recognized that grin and was marginally worried.

"I do cause it's pretty applicable to a lot of things." Ophelia's gaze only drifted away at the familiar sound of the tour bus coming to a stop behind them. Another bus soon followed after the first, parking nearby. She leaned back in the drivers seat, waving at the bus lazily as Eddie carefully hopped out of the Druid Plow.

His sudden movement did enough to rouse the small infant sleeping against his chest in the sling Eddie wore.

"You woke her, you're dealing with her." Ophelia cited dryly from her seat, opening the car door to step out more casually than Eddie. Within a few steps, the inky tendril of the sea curled around her, masking the woman. She tried to suppress a smile and failed as Eddie carefully tended to the fussy infant.

"Juno is a good baby, you're being real rude." Eddie huffed back, rubbing the fussing infant's back. His attention was already doing wonders on making the infant relax. "Whose ready for war? Are you ready for war? Fuck yeah, you are. Wanna see some demons eat shit today?"

The gurgling that followed was enough for Eddie to give a quiet, "Hell yeah." Once Juno was settled, Eddie went to Ironheade, rousing everyone on the bus waiting for him. Shockingly the rabble rousing did not upset Juno.

Ophelia drifted away as the Doom's tour bus doors opened, Crowley stepping out onto the dry landscape of the desert. He hefted his axe over his shoulder, bowing his head respectfully in Ophelia's direction. "My queen."

"My second." She greeted casually in turn, "Did everyone enjoy the ride?"

"Only minor complaints this time, nothing unusual." He tipped his bowler hat back with a smile. "How about you and your mister?"

Ophelia glanced back at Eddie, finding herself genuinely smiling. "Only minor complaints, nothing unusual."

"Queen of the doom's gotten real soft." Crowley drawled casually, smirking at the obvious love Ophelia had for her partner. The drowned woman rolled her eyes, shooting Crowley an annoyed look. "Get everyone out of the bus. We have a war to win."

"Doviculus won't know what hit him." The drowned man agreed readily. Cheering from Ironheade was enough to earn grumbles and groans from the Doom within the bus, but no real complaints about their sunny allies. With Crowley rousing the dead, Ophelia went back to Eddie. She hooked her arm with his own. He beamed at her in kind.

Their daughter gurgled lowly, face pressed against Eddie's chest. Ophelia reached out to stroke her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"When the real fightin' starts, we can set her up with the Razor Girls and some Grave diggers." Eddie offered easily, "I feel like they'd be a good defense team."

"Seems fair, we made the Headbangers and Brides watch Juno last time."

###

Written sort of a whim because I doodled pregnant Drowned Ophelia. I had to write something, especially when egged on by Brutalhearts666, lmao.

A Birthday Massacre album also helped immensely with inspiration.


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